Game apparatus.



P. JOHNSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1912.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 8HEETSBHEET 1.

Emu 11oz Fran/{f 156mm F. JOHNSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED APR.22. 1912.

2 BHEBTS-SKEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGHAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

Patented July 9, 1912. 3

.jects above the casing described.

FRANK JOHNSON, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J oHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle. in the county of King and State of VVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to game apparatus and the object thereof is to provide an ap paratus which will toss a series of balls and juggle them automatically to amuse children.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character with simpleand etficient means for preventing the balls from resting between the holes provided to receive them or from rolling into the wrong holes.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation with parts broken out of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the bowl with its supporting casing in side elevation with parts broken out;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the casing with the 35 bowl removed, the bowl supporting standard being shown in section.

In the embodiment illustrated a circular casing'l is shown in which the operating mechanism is mounted which latter may be of any suitable or desired construction being preferably in the form of a spring motor which drives an upright'shaft 2 which pro- 1 for a purpose to be Abowl-shaped member 3 is fixed to the shaft 2 and has a hollow cone-shaped bottom lsurrounded at its base by a trough or ball groove 5. The shaft 2 is fixed to the apex .of said cone on its inner face as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and by means of which 3 A horizontally disposed partition or floor Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1912. Serial No. 692,418.

Patented July 9, 1912.

6 is secured in the casing 1 near the top of said casing and a plurality of spring arms 7 are secured at one end to the upper face of said floor and are properly arranged to position the free ends thereof under the balls carried by the bowl 3 as will be hereinafter described.

In the bottom of the groove or trough 5 of the bowl 3 are formed a series of spaced holes 8, preferably circular in form, and any desired number of which may be employed, eight being here shown for use in connect-i011 with four balls 9, a ball being placed in every other hole, which is necessary to facilitate a continuous operation of the balls. Between the respective holes 8 is an elevation 10 inclining from its center toward the holes on adjacent sides thereof and which is designed to prevent the balls from resting in the groove between the holes and insuring their being properly seated in the holes during the revolution of .the bowl.

The spring arms 7 are preferably made arc-shaped with oblong enlargements 11 near their free ends which are designed to engage the portions of the balls projecting below the bowl for forcing them upwardly 1 as will be described.

Fixed to the lower face of the trough or groove 5 at exactly the same distance in front of the openings or holes 8 as the enlargements 11 are from the free ends of arms 7, are rollers 12 mounted on brackets 13 and which are adapted to engage the spring arms for successful operation of the balls as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. That the rollers 12 should be fixed with mathematical precision in front of the holes 8 is necessary in order to impart the proper motion to the spring arms as they must be released with fixed accuracy to strike the balls when they pass over the enlarged ends thereof. The enlargements 11 are made oblong to provide for a slight error in the distance of the rollers which will not affect the operation of the arms on the balls when said enlargements are so formed. These enlargements 11 are also preferably provided with perfectly flat upper faces in order to cause them to hit the balls exactly at the center, it being understood of course that the balls project partly through the holes 8 to present sufiicient surface for a proper contactof the spring arms when the latter are released by the rollers. It is of course obvious that the. bowl in passing over the arms causes the rollers LO depress or force the spring arms downward which when released spring back and engage the balls and drive them upward, the extent of their upward movement being regulated by the strength of the springs which may be varied as desired. hen a ball is thus driven upward some distance above its seat or hole 8 it cannot drop back into the same hole as the bowl is continuously revolved, and hence it is necessary that the succeeding hole be empty to receive it. These balls may be of any desired size and composed of any suitable light soundless material being preferably made of rubber and about one inch in diameter. The bowl 3 has its bot-tom spaced. a sufficient distance above the floor 6 to provide a suitable space to permit the effective operation of said springs.

Fixed within the coneshaped bottom 4 ofthe bowl are preferably arranged braces 1% at a suitable distance above its base, and which are also fixed to the shaft 2 whereby said bowl is securely held in operative position on said shaft and prevented from wabbling during its revolution.

In the operation of the apparatus the motor being wound and the balls placed in alternate holes 8 the bowl is'revolved which causes the rollers carried thereby to force down the springs which when released rebound and drive the balls upward thereby continuously juggling them from hole to hole while the motor is in operation producing a pleasing and bewildering elfect such as would amuse small children.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game apparatus comprising a revolubly mounted vessel having an upwardly projecting bottom with an annular depression therein, the bottom of said depression being provided witha plurality of spaced openings to form ball seats, a plurality of balls, means between said openings to cause the balls to'always seat in said openings, projecting means for said balls, and means for revolving said vessel.

2. A game apparatus comprising a bowlshaped vessel provided with a cone-shaped bottom having an annular depression at its base, the bottom of said depression having a plurality of spaced apertures therein to form ball seats, a plurality of balls for engagement with said seats, spring ball projecting arms secured at one end below said vessel with their free ends bearing yieldably on said vessel bottom, and means for depressing and releasing the free ends of said arms at predetermined intervals.

3. A game apparatus comprising a bowlshaped vessel provided with a cone-shaped bottom having an annular depression at its base, the bottom of said depression having a plurality of spaced apertures therein to form ball seats, a plurality of balls for engagement with said seats, spring ball projecting arms secured at one end below said vessel with their free ends bearing yieldably on said vessel bottom, said arms being arcshaped and provided with lateral ball engaging enlargements near their free ends, and means carried by said bowl for depressing and rel-easing said free ends at predetermined intervals, whereby, said enlargements are caused to engage said balls and project them upwardly.

4. A game apparatus comprising a bowlshaped vessel provided with a cone-shaped bottom having an annular depression at its base, the bottom of said depression having a plurality of spaced apertures therein to form ball seats, a plurality of balls for engagement with said seats, spring ball projecting arms secured at one end below said vessel with their free ends bearing yieldably on said vessel bottom, said arms being arcshaped and provided with lateral ball engaging enlargements near their free ends, means carried by said bowl for depressing and releasing said free ends at predeten mined intervals, whereby, said enlargements are caused to engage said balls and project them upwardly, and means between said ball seats to prevent the balls from resting there.

5. A game apparatus comprising a bowlshaped vessel provided witha cone-shaped bottom having an annular depression at its base, the bottom of said depression having a plurality of spaced apertures therein to form ball seats, a plurality of balls for engagement with said seats, spring ball projecting arms secured at one end below said vessel with their free ends bearing yieldably on said vessel bottom, said arms being areshaped and provided with lateral ball engaging enlargements near their free ends, means carried by said bowl for depressing and releasing said free ends at predetermined intervals, whereby, said enlargements are caused to engage said balls and project them upwardly, and projections between said ball seats inclining downwardly from their centers toward adjacent ball seats.

6. A game apparatus comprising a casing, a horizontal partition disposed therein at points spaced from the top, an upright driving shaft mounted in said casing, a bowlshaped vessel having its bottom extending into said casing and spaced above said partition, said vessel having ,a hollow coneshaped bottom secured in said shaft, a ball trough at the base of said cone-shaped bottom and having a plurality of spaced aperto said partition with their free ends bear- Witnesses.

FRANK JOHNSON.

ing against the outer face of the bottom of said ball trough With enlargements near their free ends and rollers carried on the outer face of said trough at points spaced from the openings a distance equal to the distance the enlargements are spaced from the free terminals of said arms. I

Vitnesses EMIL PARKER, A. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

